Process for the dyeing of textile materials of high molecular polyester fibres

ABSTRACT

CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR THE DYEING OF TEXTILE MATERIALS MADE FROM HIGH MOLECULAR POLYESTER FIBRES OR CONTAINING SUCH FIBERS WITH DISPERSE DYESTUFFS AND/OR ORGANIC PIGMENT DYESTUFFS, WHEREIN THE TEXTILE MATERIAL IS TREATED WITH A DYEING BATH HEATED UP TO 160-230*C. WHICH CONSISTS OF OXALKYLATION PRODUCTS OF ALIPHATIC, AROMATIC, ALKYLATED AROMATIC OR CYCLO-ALIPHATIC COMPOUNDS OR OF POLYGLYCOL ETHERS, AND IN WHICH THE DYESTUFFS ARE DISSOLVED OR DISPERSED.

United States Patent US. Cl. 8169 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Continuous process for the dyeing of textile materials made from high molecular polyester fibres or containing such fibres with disperse dyestuffs and/or organic pigment dyestuffs, wherein the textile material is treated with a dyeing bath heated up to 160-230 C. which consists of oxalkylation products of aliphatic, aromatic alkylated aromatic or cyclo-aliphatic compounds or of polyglycol ethers, and in which the dyestuffs are dissolved or dispersed.

The present invention relates to a new process for the dyeing of textile materials made from high molecular polyester fibres or containing such fibres.

It is known that textile materials containing endless filaments or staple fibres of a high molecular polyester can be dyed continuously by means of the so-called Thermosol process. According to this method, the textiles are padded with aqueous baths of disperse dyestuffs, then dried, and subsequently the disperse dyestuff is fixed in the polyester fibre by the effect of heat, for 30 to 90 seconds, at 160 to 230 C. A disadvantage of this operation mode resides in the fact that it is necessary to dry the wet goods before fixing the dyestuff according to the Thermosol process. During this intermediate drying operation of the padded articles there may occur migration of the applied dyestuff, especially if an insufficient equipment is used, which migration may cause an inhomogeneous aspect of the goods.

It has now been found that the disadvantage described as before and inherent in the conventional Thermosol process can be eliminated and that it is possible to arrive at a practically continuous process for the dyeing of textile materials made from high molecular polyester fibres or containing such fibres by impregnating said textiles with dissolved or dispersed disperse dyestuffs and/or organic pigment dyestuffs as well as fixation of the dyestuffs at elevated temperatures, in that the textile material is treated with a dyeing bath heated up to 160230 C. which consists of oxalkylation products of aliphatic, aromatic, alkylated aromatic or cycloaliphatic compounds or of polyglycol ethers, and in which the dyestuffs are dissolved or dispersed.

For fixing the dyestuff according to the process of the invention, the textile material has to be treated by means of the solvent-containing dyeing bath heated up to 160- 230 C., generally for l()180 seconds. The higher temperatures require less fixing time and vice versa. Preferably, the goods are exposed to the effect of the hot dyestuif solutions or dispersions for 20 to 40 seconds at temperatures between 190 and 210 C.

For carrying out the new process, the material to be dyed is passed through a bath which contains the treating agent together with the dyestuff, the temperature of which being kept constant as far as possible within the indicated Patented Mar. 20, 1973 range. The passage speed of the textiles through the bath depends upon the necessary fixing period. By proceeding along this preferred embodiment, impregnation as well as fixation of the dyestuff on the goods are combined in one single operation.

The dwelling time of the fibrous material in contact with the hot solvent may be either determined by the required treatment period in the bath already heated to fixing temperature, or, after impregnation with the bath at room temperature, be attained by external action of heat (for example by infrared or high frequency radiators), but Without any intermediate drying of the goods.

According to the process of the invention there are used as solvents or dispersing agents for the dyestuffs oxalkylation products of aliphatic, alkylated aromatic, aromatic and cycloaliphatic compounds having at least one terminal free hydroxy group. Suitable compounds of this kind are the oxalkylation products of fatty acids, fatty acid amides, fatty amines, fatty alcohols and alkylated phenols. The polyether chains in these compounds are generally built up from ethylene oxide units, but also products having chain members of higher oxalkyl compounds, such as propylene oxide or butylene oxide, or mixtures of the said alkylene oxides have proved as useful in the process of the invention. Further, also polyglycol ethers, especially polyethylene glycols, having an average molecular weight of from to 2000, preferably of from 200 to 1500, are interesting in view of their use as treating media for the dyestuffs according to the present invention. Of course, these substances have to be liquid according to the requirements of the process and they must not decompose at the given bath temperature.

Examples from the series of these oxalkylation products are pentaethylene glycol, hexaethylene glycol, nonyl phenols having of from 4 to 20, preferably of from 6 to 10 ethylene oxide groupings, further fatty acids, fatty acid amides, fatty amines and fatty alcohols having of from 10 to 18 carbon atoms in the form of hydrophobic chains and an oxethylation degree of from 2 to 30, preferably of from 4 to 15 moles of ethylene oxide. It is also possible to use mixtures of said solvents. In this regard, the use of solvent baths containing, besides one of the above oxalkylation compounds, a further 10 to 50 percent by weight of polyglycol ethers having a medium molecular weight as indicated above has proved of importance in practice.

The disperse dyestuffs to be used in the process of the invention are well known and belong generally to the series of water-insoluble azo, anthraquinone and phthalocyanine dyestuffs. But it is also possible to use in this process organic pigment dyestuffs which are still unfinished. Since finishing of dispersion dyestuifs is very expensive and difficult, the possibility of using unfinished products is a further substantial advantage of the process of the invention.

During the preparation of the polyester dyeings according to the method of the invention, the dyestuffs are partly dissolved by the hot solvents, but another portion, differing dependent on the dyestutf used, remains dispersed. It cannot, however, be indicated whether the dissolved or the dispersed dyestuif is primarily absorbed by the fibre. The pH value of the dyeing baths should possibly be kept below 7, preferably in the range of from 5 to 6.

After fixing of the dyestuff, the excess oxalkylate adhering on the fibrous material is squeezed off and either fed back into the dyeing bath or led to the following usual cleaning baths serving there as detergent and dispersing agent. An additional advantage of the new process resides in the fact that the solvents used may generally provide the function of a detergent, so that for the final soaping of the dyeings the addition of a special detergent is no longer necessary. The oxalkylate remaining on the fibre has a EXAMPLE 1 A fabric of polyester fibres is passed for 30 seconds through a 200 C.-hot solution of a reaction product of 1 mole of nonyl phenol with 9 moles of ethylene oxide, which contains per litre 30 g. of a mixture of equal parts of dyestuffs of the formulae and LA Hail liIH-CHa-OH (lH 1 IHCHzOH in commercial form and quality. Leaving the solvent bath, the fabric passes through a suitable squeezing equipment made of metal rollers, in order to reduce the quantity of solvent remaining on the fibre. After having been exposed to air at room temperature, the goods are insed and treated with hot water of 98 C. A blue dyeing having good fastnesses is obtained.

EXAMPLE 2 20 g. of a yarn made from texturized polyester filaments are dipped for 2 minutes into a 175 C.-hot solution of a reaction product of 1 mole of stearyl amine with 5 moles of ethylene oxide, containing per litre 20 g. of the dyestuff of the formula in commercial form and quality, and are subsequently squeezed otf according to Example 1. After rinsing and treating the goods with hot water a brilliant blue dyeing is obtained.

N-R R=lower alkyl EXAMPLE 3 A fabric made from polyester fibres and cotton in a mixing ratio of 67:33 is passed for 1 minute through a 200 C.-hot solution of a polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of about 600, which contains per litre 20 g. of the dyestufi of the formula 20K NH: O- SCH; H Q Q and is squeezed off according to Example 1. After rinsing and treating the goods with hot water a brilliant red dyeing is obtained.

4 When instead of the cited dyestutf 20 g. of the dyestuff of the formula are used, a violet dyeing is obtained.

EXAMPLE 4 20 g. of yarn made from polyester stable fibres are dipped for 30 seconds into a 200 C. hot solution of a reaction product of 1 mole of nonyl phenol with 10 moles of ethylene-oxide, containing per litre 40 g. of the dyestutf of the formula in commercial form and quality, and are squeezed off according to Example 1. After rinsing and treating the goods with hot water a clear red dyeing is obtained.

When instead of the above dyestufif 20 g. of the dyestuif of the formula are used, a greenish yellow dyeing is obtained.

EXAMPLE 5 A fabric made from polyester fibres is passed for 30 seconds through a C. hot solution of a reaction prod uct of 1 mole of stearylamine with 5 moles of ethylene oxide, containing per litre 20 g. of the dyestuff of the formula and is squeezed off according to Example 1. After rinsing and treating the goods with hot water a brilliant blue dyeing is obtained.

EXAMPLE 6 A fabric made from polyester fibres is passed for 30 seconds through a 190 C. hot solution of a reaction product of 1 mole of stearyl alcohol with 5 moles of ethylene oxide, containing per litre 20 g. of the dyestuif mixture indicated in Example 1, and is squeezed 011? according to Example 1. After soaping and treating the goods with 98 C. hot water a deep blue dyeing is obtained.

EXAMPLE 7 A fabric made from polyester fibres and cotton in a mixing ratio of 67:33 is passed for 30 seconds through a 190 C. hot solution of a polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of about 1000, which contains per litre 20 g. of the dyestuff of the formula Cg: CH CH O N N G1 I I and is squeezed off according to Example 1. After rinsing and treating the goods with hot water, a deep blue dyeing is obtained.

We claim:

1. In a process for the dyeing of a textile material of high molecular weight polyester fibers, derived from a polybasic acid and a polyhydric alcohol, with a dissolved or dispersed disperse dyestutf and/or an organic pigment dyestuif, and for fixation of the dyestutf at an elevated temperature, the improvement which comprises dyeing said fibers and fixing the dyestufi thereon in a single operation by treating the textile material with a dyeing bath at a temperature of 160 to 230 C., said dyeing bath consisting of the dissolved or dispersed dyestufi and pentaethylene glycol, hexaethylene glycol, an oxalkylation product of a nonyl phenol having 4 to 20 ethylene oxide group, or of a fatty amine or fatty alcohol having to 18 carbon atoms in the form of a hydrophobic chain and an oxethylation degree of from 2 to 30 mols, or a mixture thereof.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein from 10 to 50 percent by weight of a polyglycol ether is further added to the bath.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein an unfinished organic pigment dyestutf is used.

4. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the textile material is treated for 10 to 180 seconds with the dyeing bath.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,148,933 9/1964 Randall 8-1 20 3,667,898 6/1972 Bergman et al 894 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,054,746 1/19'67 Great Britain 893 1,071,074 6/1967 Great Britain 8--l73 GEORGE F. LESMES, Primary Examiner T. I. HERBERT, JR., Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 821 C, 172,173 

